Top 5 4K Cinema Cameras in the USA, 2025

Below: We used the new 24-70mm lens to capture action in all its 6K quality. The footage is excellent

The rugged new S1H is the camera designed by filmmakers for filmmakers, and handsomely out-specs even the latest rivals from Sony, Canon, Nikon and Leica.

There’s a built-in anamorphic desqueeze, which is ideal not just for big-money productions using super-pricey glass, but also the new breed of slightly more affordable anamorphic lenses.

This isn’t simply down to the camera removing the 30-minutes recording time cap for spurious import tax reasons, but because Panasonic has come up with a solution to stop the overheating problems and power issues that blight many other mirrorless full-frame cameras.

Getting rid of heat from that large sensor is the big issue and Panasonic has solved this by not only making the chunkiest full-frame mirrorless camera on the market to act as a heat sink, but also fitting a silent fan and air cooling ducts.

One of the key features is that the camera offers a range of anamorphic modes in a variety of squeeze options for a true cinemascope look – something that it seems everyone is going crazy for at the moment.

High Frame Rate mode allows you to set frames at up to 120fps, but the beauty of this is that autofocus still works and audio is recorded. And full manual control is available in fast frame rates, unlike the S1 and S1R models, which are auto only.

The footage we looked at was all recorded internally to the camera’s twin SD card slots. Well-known Hollywood film colourist Dado Valentic took a critical look at the footage shot by the camera at ISO up to 1200 and was blown away by the resolving power and lack of noise.

We tried the S1H in 6K, 5.9K, C4K, 4K and HD, both outdoors in bright sunshine and twilight, indoors in natural light and with artificial lighting. The results were incredibly clean and very impressive.

If you are shooting interviews for HD use such as YouTube, you can record in 6K for a wider shot, crop into 4K for a tighter shot or go in even more for an HD crop. All with one camera and lens, without changing position. That’s a big bonus for one-man shooters.

In a recent test, we said the S1 was incredible for low-light performance. Although the footage from the S1H was only a prototype sample – so the final production version may be different – it was clear to see it’s also great when the ISO gets cranked up.

Below: The screen not only folds out, but also tilts, which is a huge bonus when the camera is on a tripod

It’s not just us saying that. The Lumix S1H is the first mirrorless camera to get Netflix ‘A’ approval as a primary camera for filming original Netflix productions, and the cheapest too, mixing with far more expensive rivals like the Arri Alexa 65, Red One and Sony Venice.

Its video specifications are impressive enough, but with plenty of rivals snapping at its heels, it also relies on other key cinematography features to make its mark – many of them alien to stills photographers, but essential to professional film makers.

Panasonic aims to deliver cinema quality video with the Lumix S1H, and it has the features to back that up.

The S1H does offer full frame (uncropped) capture for 4K, with 4:2:2 10-bit internal recording and speeds up to 60p. You can use 60fps capture and playback for fast action, or 30fps playback for a 2x slow motion effect.

The S1H has no such limitation. You can film for as long as you like, and heat is dissipated by a silent internal fan – the first use of a fan in a mirrorless camera, though they are found on broadcast and cinema cameras.

Effective as a stills camera too

Panasonic has included an anti-aliasing filter on the S1H – something the cheaper S1 missed out on, and which is important on any video-centric camera to reduce moiré.

Taking a leaf out of the GH5's spec sheet, Panasonic has included its Dual Native ISO system in the S1H as well.

The fan is completely silent and has been designed to create the least amount of vibrations. There are four modes to choose from, and only when you are in Normal mode can you hear the fan if you listen hard enough.

But where the earlier cameras were limited to “just” 4K video capture at up to 60 frames per second for as long as 30 minutes, the S1H is capable of recording full-frame video at up to 6K resolution with a 3:2 aspect ratio at a rate of 24 frames per second.

This system is said to operate as quietly — or perhaps, even more so — than the fanless Lumix G9 camera, by way of comparison. It includes a choice of two automatically-controlled operating speeds, plus normal, slow and off settings.

As well as being very solid, the S1H’s body is also said to be both freezeproof to 14°F (-10°C), using similar technology to the Lumix GH5, which was successfully used on Antarctic expeditions.

The S1H’s image sensor is mounted on an uprated sensor shift mechanism about twice the weight of those in Panasonic’s Micro Four Thirds cameras, featuring four larger voice coil motors for better responsiveness and accuracy.

In addition, HFR video with sound is also recordable with active autofocus at up to 120fps in HD. Unlike the S1, shooting in fast frame rates gives full manual control over exposure. An improvement over the S1 is the rear 3.2-inch, 2,330K-dot 3:2 aspect rear touchscreen monitor.

Fans of slow motion will love the camera’s two fast frame rate options. Variable Frame Rate (VFR) records over-cranked/under-cranked video in C4K/4K (60fps, maximum 2.5x slow motion in 24p) and FHD (180fps, maximum 7.5x slow motion in 24p).

There is five-axis in-body image stabilisation and can be used with Panasonic’s own S series lenses, which have two-axis optical image stabiliser, for a claimed 6.5-stop improvement. This worked very well and is a real bonus to allow handheld shooting without too much shaking.

As a nod to real filmers, there are tally lights front and back, as well as waveform monitoring. You can change the size and position of the waveform on the rear screen by just dragging and dropping.

One of the best features is that the camera offers a range of anamorphic modes for the true cinemascope look. We got to try it with a variety of Atlas anamorphic primes and the results are staggering.

Australian filmmaker Peter Hamblin, for instance, loved the ability to shoot 6K in both full-frame and Super 35mm without having to change lenses, effectively giving shooters two lenses in one.

But that heft shows in the robust build quality of the Lumix S1H. This camera is made from metal, not a high impact plastic.

"I like to call the Lumix S1H the "Varicam Micro" because it’s a small camera that delivers everything a Varicam does." - David C. Smith

The S1H is like putting a high-performance McClarren race car engine and drive train under the shell of a modern car. Kinda like the old IROC racing series.

"The S1H opens up a cinematic palette, to achieve the look that you want at the budget you have." - Peter Hamblin

But Panasonic didn’t stop there. Nearly a year after its announcement, the S1H received a firmware update adding 5.9K RAW video output over HDMI (and yes, the S1H features a full-size HDMI port).

Internally, the S1H uses the same codec as the GH5, but its larger sensor, and the use of the full V-Log profile, allow you to get more out of it.

The large, top LCD and the placement of the controls make for a great user experience. Buttons can easily be reprogrammed simply by holding them down and selecting a new option from the resulting menu.

The LCD screen is also unique, resting in a double-hinged mechanism that lets it directly tilt up and down or flip out to the side. The extra flexibility makes it easier to maneuver around microphone and HDMI cords or anything else plugged into the camera.

Unlimited record time with active cooling

V-Log/V-Gamut with 14+ stops of dynamic range

Excellent IBIS with up to 6.5 stops of stabilization

High-quality EVF and LCD

Dual Native ISO for outstanding low-light performance